Child's Haven
by Cho Koume
Summary: Koume and the others continue their dangerous journey, taking them literally to the edge. But when disaster hits, Koume finds herself all alone in a forest with a strange aura. Is she really alone? And what is this place called... Neverland? Not that lame
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I………… do not own Saiyuki. …...Yet. :3 

Child's Haven

They say that the heart of a child is one of the purest things in the world, but many people take that for granted. They focus more on their faults, how immature they are, compared to them… and the older you are, the harder it is for you to understand how they think. Adults sometimes get to wrapped up in those faults that they can lose sight of just how precious children are, and they forget… that they were children once, too.

--

"Aw crap! crap crap crap…"

Goku's complaining could probably be heard for miles, even without him trying to be noisy. It figured that the group of rowdy travelers would find themselves on a sliver of a ledge, trying to cross into the next town. The echo was only making it worse, for the more they talked, the slimmer the ledge seemed to be. Maybe that was just Sanzo's excuse for yelling at the chimp.

"Goku, for the last time, shut UP! Don't make me push you off of this thing!"

"I can't help it, Sanzo… Why don't you blame Hakkai for leading us this way!"

"Aha… I didn't mean it, honest!" The brunette sadly laughed to himself. "Who knew that there had been a rock slide some time ago? The villagers in the last town did tell us that nobody comes this way."

"Well, I guess we know WHY, don't we?" Gojyo grumbled. Koume, though, just kept silent. Come to think of it, she'd been silent the whole time, moving slightly slower than the rest and keeping still as a board.

"Hakkai, how much further is it until we reach the other side of the road?"

"I honestly don't know, Gojyo… it could be a hundred feet, or a mile or two!"

"A MILE? Oh, come ON…" Goku wailed again.

"Goku, this is no time to be acting childish! Grow up, will you?"

Finally, Koume started to take an interest in the conversation, and she turned her head to the others, trying to defend the smaller of their group.

"Don't be so hard on him, you guys… he can't help it! He still has a very young mind…"

"Young mind or no, he should be acting more grown up, given our situation! The last thing we need is a child." At this, Koume tilted her head. Sening eyes on him, Sanzo hesitantly turned his head to look at her innocent face.

"Why are you looking at me?"

"Well, personally… I wouldn't mind a child, sometime."

At this point in the conversation, nearly everyone lost their grip and nearly fell to their deaths. Sanzo's face was beet red now, and he tried his very hardest not to say a word.

"Um… Koume. You're practically still a child yourself. I'm not sure you know what you're saying."

Feeling slightly hurt, Koume turned her head away, too, and slowly yet silently, the group started moving again. As they walked along the only barely widening ledge, Koume and Sanzo both thought about that. …Well, Sanzo was trying to forget it, but still. After what seemed like an eternity under the burning sun, with their hands cut and stinging from trying to hold onto the rocks, Hakkai noticed a change in the Cliffside. His face brightened.

"Hey guys! I think we've found it!"

Sanzo leaned outward just a bit to look around his friend. Not ten feet from them was the road. It started out slim- too slim for the jeep- but wide enough that they could walk safely on. However, just next to it was a weak-looking part of rock. It didn't look completely stable.

"Finally, we're almost home free!"

"Yeah. We just have to get past a small problem area… if we're slow and careful, we could probably jump over it!"

"Uh, yeah, sure. You first, Hakkai." Goku stated in a sarcastic tone.

But, it seemed Hakkai took it seriously, and once he neared the weak spot, he jumped. Koume's heart nearly jumped out of her chest, but seeing as he landed safely on the other side, she instantly felt relieved. But they weren't all out of the woods yet. Sanzo was next to reach the spot, sliding across it, instead of jumping, then the other boys followed suit. As they passed it, Koume could not help but notice that small pieces of stone were starting to break free, and she stopped dead. Hakkai looked over at her, frozen in place and gripping the side of the cliff tightly.

"Koume? What's wrong?"

"I…probably should have mentioned this a little sooner, but… heights aren't really my thing…" Koume gulped rather loudly and tried her best to keep her gaze out front, instead of downward or at the others. Sanzo honestly thought that acrophobia was a ridiculous fear, but for her sake, he didn't say so out loud. He watches Koume, just sitting out there, risking her life rather than getting over her fears and joining them, but he really did care, and so he stuck close to the cliff wall and stood at the edge.

"Koume."

"…"

"Koume, look at me."

She still didn't respond, trying too hard to stay balanced, but Sanzo kept saying her name, letting his tone become somewhat soft. Slowly but surely, she finally turned her head his way, and when their eyes met, she couldn't look away.

"Koume, you need…… to stop messing around and get over here." Being soft on her all the time wasn't the way to keep her in line. He had to keep reminding himself of this.

"Genjyo… I can't do this."

"You don't have a choice. Do you plan on staying out there forever?"

"But…"

"Don't worry." This time, there was such softness in his voice, the others weren't sure he'd spoken at all, but he held out his hand, nonetheless. "Just slowly come this way, and take my hand."

The offer was kind, but still, Koume was reluctant. She could try to avoid admitting that he was right about her position, but his eyes… she couldn't ignore those determined, glowing orbs of his. So she looked only into his eyes as she hesitantly forced her stiff body to move, gaining only an inch at a time. Goku and the others held their heads high and gave encouragement to her as she started to get closer, but Sanzo held his breath as she reached the weak ledge. At first, she stopped altogether and tried to lean over to grab his hand, but her arms were just not long enough. Then, she tried to inch over some more. She was shaking.

"That's it, Koume. Just a little further."

"You can do it, Koume!"

"Just take it slow!"

"Shut up, you guys! She needs to concentrate…" Sanzo only looked back for a minute, and when he returned his gaze to Koume, she'd stopped again, clenching her eyes tightly.

"Koume, don't stop, you're so close now!"

"I-I can't…"

"Stop saying that! Just look at me and take my hand!"

Once again, the intensity in his voice brought her eyes back to his, and she took a breath. But she'd waited too long. Just as their fingers touched, the cliff below her feet gave way. They all watched in horror as she slowly slipped away from them. Sanzo tried to grab her hand, but he just couldn't. before they knew it, she'd disappeared from sight; the sound of her scream no longer audible.

"Koume!"


	2. Chapter 2

Koume wasn't sure what had happened. It was as if she'd had her eyes open for a long time, but couldn't remember what she was looking at. There was no way of knowing just how long she'd been there, lying on the cold ground. Wasn't she on a cliff just a moment ago? Her mind was so hazy… she couldn't remember right away. All she knew was that the rocks she was lying on were uncomfortable, the bush behind her was scratching up her neck, and her whole body was aching. Overall, not a very happy moment. The woods she'd fallen into were deathly quiet, and since her head was pounding, she closed her eyes again, hoping that sleep or unconsciousness would hurry up and take her.

But something nearby had other plans. Almost right away, a strange aura started to surround her, and her eyes shot open again. She made her body move into a sitting position, using a larger rock to balance as she took a look around. She had ended up in a fairly secluded area, but she knew she was far from being alone. Could it be the others…? Had they already come to find her, or was she neck-deep in a puddle of trouble?

Her somewhat bleary eyes scanned the tree line for anything suspicious, like the bushes that made noise, and light shuffling, but she could not see anything or determine what had surrounded her. It was strange, seeing as the energies were not demonic in any way, and yet, the hairs on the back of her neck were standing on edge. A sudden chill swept down her back as she stayed perfectly still. Then, the rustling stopped.

"…Is someone there?"

Instead of a verbal response, what Koume got was a rock thrown at her head. She quickly moved her arm up to block it from hitting her face, but soon, more rocks and sticks came out of the brush. She did her best to knock them away, but her arms were starting to get sore.

"Hey! Stop it, whoever you are!"

But the culprits did not stop. She took a deep breath, intending to growl at them, but before she got the chance, something else growled for her. it was a deep noise that shook the trees and made the ground tremor. Koume looked around, cautiously, and the rocks stopped coming at her. Small squeaky noises started coming from the bushes as they shook again, and then, something fell out of one.

"A-a kid!"

The small boy groaned and rubbed his head as he sat up, and only then did he notice Koume's eyes on him. She had a look of utter surprise on her face, and for some reason, this startled the boy, as he hurriedly scrambled back to his feet and ran into the brush once more. But Koume wasn't about to let him go off on his own without answers, and she rose to her feet as well. But, she didn't get half a step before a deep pain in her left leg drove her back to the ground. Looking down, she was amazed, since that was the first moment she noticed the bleeding gash along the outside of her thigh. She reached out to touch it, but it stung too much to do anything.

"Ah… I must have gotten this when I fell down the cliff…"

Thinking about that all of a sudden made her raise her head. There was so much cliff, she wasn't sure just how far she'd fallen, or where the others were. Just then, the growling erupted from the forest again, and Koume was reminded of her previous task. Forcing her body to move again, she carefully stood back on her feet and tried her best to follow the child. Yes it hurt, and she left behind small puddles of blood, but she was stubborn and persistent.

She wove past thick brush and prickly vines of the dense, unpaved path, trying with all her might to find a scent to follow, hoping to find the child she'd seen before, but the only smell her nose could pick up on was the coppery scent of her own blood. It was strange, indeed, and her head was already starting to spin. She shook her head to clear her thoughts, and only then, when she stopped walking, did she notice hushed voices. She was on the defensive again, and ready, in case more stones or sticks flew her way. Luckily for her, none came, but as she called out, the forest grew quiet.

"Hello? Is there someone out there?"

"Go away!"

"Excuse me?"

"You're not welcome here! Leave right now!"

"Aha… honestly, I wouldn't know how. I want to know where I am!"

The voices all around her whispered again, and Koume tried to hear what was being said. Somewhere in there, she heard the word "dangerous" and wondered what they meant, before she remembered her daggers attached to a holster around her waist. She made a noise, and the voices stopped as she removed the belt and set it on the ground. There was another brief moment of silence before a boy stepped out onto a tree branch where Koume could see him. He didn't look much older than seven.

"You… step away from the knives!" He demanded, holding a large rock as a warning. Koume complied, and softly smiled at him.

"I assure you, I mean you no harm."

"Yeah, right. What are you doing here? I haven't seen you before!"

"I'm just a traveler, on my way westward."

"To the west? What GIRL goes on a journey all by herself?"

"I'm not alone. Although…"

"Mm?" It was then that 2 more children peered out from the brush- a small girl and the boy from before.

"I seem to have been separated from them. I don't know where they are right now."

"Ahh… you're lost?" The girl sounded very sympathetic, and Koume nodded.

"Toby, get down from there! I don't think she's a bad lady!"

"Be quiet, Tasha!"

"No YOU be quiet! Acting all high and mighty! Who made you the boss?"

"I'm the oldest!"

"! Now, now… kids, please! Don't fight!"

Koume took a step, trying to stop their quarreling, but she was instantly reminded of her wounds and faltered. Fortunately, she managed to stumble to the side to take rest on a boulder, and softly applied pressure. The girl, Tasha, let out a tiny gasp and ran to her side. She placed a hand over her mouth as she looked at the gash, but Koume covered it as best she could.

"No, no, dear… you shouldn't look at something like that…"

"But you're hurt…" She turned back around as the smaller boy and the older one started to come near, also. "Toby, look what you did!"

"I didn't do it! Maybe YOU did!" But Koume shook her head.

"None of you hurt me this way. I just fell, is all."

"Oh…" The small girl, then reached into a small pocket on her dress and pulled out a white cloth, which she used to wrap Koume's wound. This girl was very kind, and once she was done, Koume patted her head.

"What a nice girl you are… thank you!"

"Ah… Y-you're welcome!" She replied shyly. It was then that a few more children started to emerge from the brush to see her.

"Oh my…! Just how many of you kids are there!"

"Just this many." Toby replied, a little less aggressively.

"Six of you… But, what about your parents? They let you wander through the woods on your own?" Another boy huffed, and Toby took another step towards her.

"There aren't any adults here! They're not allowed!"

"Aren't allowed! What do you mean?"

"This place is a kid's place, called Neverland! Only us kids can stay here, and we don't have to grow up or anything!"

"You don't grow up? Why not?"

"Because… adults just don't understand us!"

"I see… but then who takes care of you?" The kids looked down and away.

"We… have to take care of ourselves."

"Oh my… That's just awful. But, I know how you must feel."

"Do you have parents?"

"Well, I have a father, but he… wasn't really around to raise me. He's making up for it, though." She said with a smile.

"You're lucky… I wish I had a mommy!"

The girl sniffled and tears started running down her cheeks. It was then that Koume felt warm feeling run through her, and she smiled softly. Gently and caring, she brushed away the little tears and patted the girl's head again.

"Don't worry, sweetie… I can take care of you."

The innocent girl smiled brightly and she, along with the other kids, approached her as Koume rose from her seat, the pain in her leg a dull throb now. Without so much as another word, she walked off with the children into the dense overgrowth.


	3. Chapter 3

None of the guys had expected Koume would fall, and as they rushed to find their way to the bottom of the cliff, none of them could keep from worrying. Was she all right? Would they find her alive? And in Sanzo's case, he had to silently ask himself… 'Could I have prevented this'? But nothing could be determined until they reached the area where she had fallen. For Goku, at least, that task was simple enough.

Every chance he got, he would hug Koume, not only for comfort, but just to be close to someone, and so her scent was very familiar to him. However, as he was following his nose, another smell started to assault his senses. Though he did not say it aloud, he hurried his pace as his worry increased. He knew he was getting close, and finally jumped up and through some thick brush to a clearing.

"Koume?"

The others followed his lead a moment later, but found themselves in an empty space. It was right by the cliffside, and Goku knew he smelled Koume there, or at least she could have been there at one time. The others looked around, disappointed.

"Hey Monkey, I thought you said you could find her! damn useless ape."

"Shut up, you slacker! I'm trying my best, okay?" Goku barked at him.

"Is this where you think Koume was at, Goku?" Hakkai was trying to be calm, but he was obviously worried and disappointed, as well.

"I know I smelled her here."

"But she's not here NOW. Damn, where is she…?"

"Relax, Sanzo! We'll find her, I'm sure!"

He growled at Gojyo, clenching his fists tightly.

"It's been 2 hours since she fell! She could be anywhere by now!"

"No… I don't think she could have gotten to far…" was Goku's quiet reply as he knelt by some tall grass. The others turned to look at him, and could not ignore the grim look on his face. They all stepped closer to see what he had found, but none of them were quite ready for it. The pool of her blood.

"Oh…Koume!"

"She must have gotten pretty banged up. Damn, and we were so slow!"

"Koume… please be okay."

Sanzo was the only one saying his prayers to himself. He could not tear his eyes from the puddle, at least until Hakkai spoke behind him.

"Hey! I see a trail here…"

"Mm?" He turned to look, and Hakkai pointed to the small bits of blood leading off into the woods.

"You think she's trying to find us?"

"If so, she's going the wrong way."

They all tried to ignore Goku's childish joke, but Sanzo was tempted to brandish him with his fan. Hakkai sighed and looked up through the trees at the sky with a frustrated look.

"It will get dark soon… and once that happens, we shouldn't be walking about."

"I agree. And there's something… off about this place."

"I hate to say it, but we should probably stop for now, and continue searching in the morning."

Reluctantly, the others agreed, though none of them could sleep for quite some time, lost in their thoughts and worried. Sanzo, for one, could not look away from the pool of blood Koume had left in her wake.

--

Somewhere deeper into the forest, Koume continued following the small children, being led slowly by the hand by Tasha. As they walked, Koume looked around- all she could see was darkness and trees, but not one animal sound could be heard. It was just too strange. In the dead of the night, at least the sound of an owl or a cricket should be heard, but there was absolute silence all around them. None of the kids seemed bothered by this, but Koume was not so easily relaxed. But how could she show her hesitation to such young and innocent faces? Perhaps, she thought in the back of her mind, there was nothing wrong at all. Was she only being paranoid?

She had to put that thought on hold as everyone around her stopped. Once again, she looked about the area, taking notice of small areas in the grass where small blankets were lying. Tasha and the youngest boy, Nikki, looked up at her and smiled happily.

"We're here now!"

"Here…?"

"Yeah! This is our home!" Koume looked around again, this time in utter disbelief! Those kids, on top of being alone, lived there, slept THERE? She was completely silent as the girl continued to talk, and the other children were already settling down in their own sleeping spots. She was so out of it, she almost jumped when the girl tugged lightly on her sleeve.

"Mm? Oh, what is it, Tasha?"

"Well… I was thinking. Where will you sleep?"

"Oh, don't worry about me… I'll be fine."

"You sure?" She said with a yawn. Koume smiled at the cute kid and patted her head.

"Yes… just go to sleep, now."

Tasha looked up at her with those big, caring eyes once more.

"Will you still be here in the morning?"

"Yes." That made the child smile, and she quickly ran off and plopped down under her tiny blanket. Everything was silent for a long time after that. After walking around the small campsite for about an hour, Koume finally settled down, sitting up against a tree on the far side of the clearing, but still within view of where the children lay sleeping. Sleep was slowly creeping up on her, but she fought it off and looked up at the glistening night sky. The stars were twinkling brightly, and in the quiet of the night, Koume thought of Sanzo, Hakkai, Goku and Gojyo. Strange, how she'd not spent too much time away from them for so long, and now she missed them all dearly. She hadn't seen or heard from them since her fall, and all she could think about was where they were and how they were doing. She remembered the devastated looks upon their faces moments before the world went black, and those sad eyes made her heart ache.

"Genjyo… Everyone…" she whispered to herself, her eyes suddenly falling closed, "come and find me quickly… Please…"

'They're not coming!'

Suddenly, Koume sat right back up. She was sure she'd heard someone in a deep voice talking to her, but when she turned her head, there was only the little girl, standing next to her. it took her a moment of deep breaths to calm down enough, but eventually, she was able to respond, and when she did, it was quietly.

"T-Tasha? …What are you doing awake?" The little girl sniffled a little and rubbed her eyes.

"I had a bad dream…"

"! Oh, poor thing…" Koume frowned only slightly and reached out to clear away the child's tears. "C-can I… sleep with you?"

"….." She smiled. "Of course, dear."

Tasha smiled, happy as ever as Koume opened her arms and allowed her to snuggle against her side. Almost right away, more little heads popped up from their beds and before long, all six of them were around her, sleeping soundly, and she was smiling down at them. Niki sighed contentedly.

"Good night, mama…"

"Good night, my darlings." She replied, her eyes growing dark and finally closing.


	4. Chapter 4

Morning light had only just begun to come over the tree line and the ikkou was already packed up and ready to begin their searching again for their female companion. Hakuryuu was told to stay behind where it was safe while the rest set to the trail, following a trail of blood on the ground that was believed to be Koume's. Goku was, once again, up front, and the rest of them looked all around.

"Koume's lost in this mess? Holy COW." Gojyo commented.

"She's actually very good with navigating the land, but even I'm getting thrown off in this mess." Hakkai replied.

"Shoot. And to think, she might be bleeding! I mean, with all this blood, where could she possibly be?"

"Oh, Koume…" Even Goku talked with them, but Sanzo hadn't said a word. Hakkai looked back, more concern marring his features. He also found it impossible to ignore the fact that the blonde hadn't smoked one cigarette since Koume was separated from them. He was nicotine deprived and silent as death. The bags beneath his eyes suggested that he'd not slept nearly all night. He was worse than a wreak. Hakkai then threw a worried glance at Gojyo before receiving a nod and stepping back to walk alongside their troubled companion.

"Sanzo? Are you getting tired at all? Want to stop?" He didn't answer.

"Sanzo?" Gojyo sighed.

"There's no point in pouting, Sanzo." That made him twitch and grind his teeth.

"What did you say?"

"You heard me. And don't deny it, either, because that's exactly what you're doing!"

That was the last straw. In an instant, Sanzo's head went up and his gun was ready, aimed directly at Gojyo's head. Only about a foot separated them, but for once the redhead was not afraid of the threat. Although, how could he be, seeing Sanzo as he was- hands shaking, eyes twitching and his lips quivering?

"Sanzo… you know this wasn't your fault, right?"

Everyone stared at those two in complete silence as the words processed. Never would the Sanzo of the past admit to such a thing, especially regarding another person. He tried only to care about himself, but when he met Koume, he could no longer do that. It was then that he realized that he'd unintentionally opened his heart, and now he did not know what to do with himself. Slowly, as he put his thoughts together, he lowered his gun, and Goku came up to stand beside him to rest a hand on his elder's arm.

"I… let her fall."

"You didn't do anything wrong, Sanzo." Hakkai reassured him. "It was a freak accident… None of us could have prevented it."

"But, I… I told her it would be alright. I led her on."

"If you're going to think that way," Goku began, "Then so did the rest of us. We're all responsible, and we're all out here trying to find her!"

"Yeah, so lets quit yapping on like this and keep going!"

That's right… that was all they could do at the time. Koume was still out there, and Sanzo would find her no matter what. He's work for all eternity to make it up to her if he had to.

--

By that time, and for a few hours, Koume spent time with the kids, gathering food with them, playing with them, and tending to their appearances. Strange, how none of them ever seemed to get hurt, even if they tripped on the rocks or fell out of a tree… but still, Koume was relieved. No parent wished for anything more than the health and safety of their child. A mother? Was that her? She felt like one, anyway… and soon, she could not remember anything other than being with them, as if she'd been there for years. All other names and faces were lost to her, and in the distance, she was watched.

--

Once again, Goku was back on the trail, and was once again following Koume's scent and blood. The next clearing they reached was smaller than the one they'd stayed at before, but Koume's scent was even stronger there. The group looked around, and Gojyo walked to a small boulder with blood stains on it. He knelt down and examined it.

"The trail of blood stops here. If someone was hurt, they probably got it under control while sitting right here."

"Wait, so there's other people here?"

"Well… I can't think of any other explanation. Unless this isn't her at all."

"No, it's her!" Sanzo yelled from across the way. He was just standing back up and in his hands was Koume's blades and belt. Hakkai gasped and ran over to him, next, taking note of some blood spatters on it.

"Koume… Koume! Koume, answer me, baby!" He yelled out. But none of them expected a response. But, almost clear as day, a voice was traveling on the blowing wind. All of them heard it, and lifted their ears to catch the mellow, soft sounds and walked towards it. The sound led them to a small path not too far away, until they were standing directly behind a kneeling girl. She was quietly singing to herself a song forgotten to the times, but hadn't seemed to notice them. The hair was the same, as was the outfit, but the choker around her neck and the bloody cloth around her leg was a giveaway. Four pairs of eyes widened in relief, and Goku was the one who ran right up beside her.

"Koume! What a relief! We were really worried about you!! Anyway, how have you…been?"

He blinked at her curiously for a moment before waving a hand in front of her face. Her complete lack of response was surprising to the group, and it started to worry Hakkai. She was just picking out herbs and some flowers around her, acting completely… He shook his head and reached out to touch her shoulder, but something stopped him. Quickly, the group had to jump back, and strangely enough, to avoid stones that came from the bushes and trees around them.

"Ah! What the HELL!?" Goku shouted as he rose his hands to block the stones.

"Up there! Little pint-size brats!" Gojyo said through gritted teeth as he stared at the children. However, with one look, Sanzo's eyes went wide. He could sense something the others obviously couldn't.

"Kids, please…! Why are you throwing things at us?" Hakkai pleaded.

"You adults aren't welcome here! We want you to go away!"

"Well that's fine and good… just as soon as he round up our friend here!"

At that, Toby stopped throwing stones.

"Her…? She's with you?"

"That's right. Koume is traveling with us, and we just want her back! But… she's actin' funny."

"Mm-hmm. It's like she can't see or hear us." Toby stayed quiet for a minute, but he didn't much like the looks they were giving Koume, and he glared at them, emerging through the brush with the other kids.

"Mama is not gonna go with you anymore! She's staying with us!"

"! Mama…?"

"You're screwed up, kid. She's not your mom!"

"Yes she is! She's our mom and you can't have her!"

That's when the children ran up to her, surrounding her.

"Mama, lets go now! I want you to tell me a story!"

"I'm hungry, mama!"

"Can we play a game?"

Koume smiled and almost empty smile, her eyes completely blank, and she nodded her head and rose to her feet. The seven of them started to walk away, but Goku tried to block their path. For some reason, none of them responded, and they simply walked on.

"Ah-" He was about to follow again, until Gojyo threw an arm out to catch his shoulder.

"Why're you stopping me?"

"I think we should follow them."

"Why?"

"Just because… there's something going on here that doesn't make sense to me."

"I agree. Following them is a good idea." Sanzo just nodded, and the group quietly and sneakily followed the large group through the woods.


	5. Chapter 5

Through the brush and dense foliage, the ikkou followed Koume; though, Sanzo was the only one with a grim expression marring his features. Like before, Koume was only giving attention to the kids- who, for some reason or another, were glaring at them any chance they got. At this, Hakkai tilted his head.

"I don't understand what is going on."

"You think she's under a spell or something?"

"I can't imagine what else would do this…" Gojyo commented quietly as he watched Koume move. Limping as she was, he imagined that the pain in her leg should be excruciating, though she showed no signs of pain. If it weren't a spell, she would have at lead paid it some mind instead of letting herself bleed out like that. All of them had noticed that and, no doubt, wondered what other injuries she might have had. Though, another thought had entered Goku's mind.

"Maybe she's just ignoring us…" He said with a pout.

"I don't think she would do that after what has just happened. She's just not that kind of person, Goku! Right Sanzo? ….Sanzo?" But he hadn't even been paying attention to them. All he could do was stare at the back of Koume's head with guilt in his heart as she talked with the kids, gently holding one's hand.

'Oh, Koume… You have no idea what this is…'

It wasn't much longer after that, that the ikkou began to sense a very ominous presence, though Sanzo felt it from the beginning. The air was almost thick with evil, and the group knew to be ready for anything. Seeing Koume so relaxed, however, was frightening. Hakkai was already starting to gather his chi as they neared a clearing.

"Be on guard, you three. We might be in for a surprise."

"Yeah, I'm ready… We can pull Koume out if we need to, right?" Hakkai nodded.

"Uh, guys? I hear something…" They looked at the smaller brunette.

"What is it?"

"Sounds like… water. Maybe there's a river nearby."

"A river…"

And surely enough, in the next clearing, the group found a rough river. It was wide and dark, making the others wonder things. It must have been deep. There, about six feet from the edge of the rushing water, Koume and the kids stopped. Koume was still emotionless, but the kids, the guys noticed, looked hesitant and fearful. Instead of following them into the clearing, they stayed behind the brush and watched. At first, nothing happened, until a sudden, deep growling echoed nearby. The kids cowered behind Koume just before the water from the lake shot up in a thick fountain. Glowing red eyes peered through the water.

"I take it he's the bad guy."

"You figure that out all on your own, monkey?"

"You two, this is no time to mess around!" Sanzo shushed all of them and continued to watch. The kids obviously saw the creature through the water wall, but Koume was completely silent. He tried his hardest to project his presence to her, to make her hear his calls, but she was long gone. Either that, or something was blocking him. The red eyes narrowed as the being got a good look at Koume. The kids were still shaking.

"So… this is who you've brought to me. It certainly has been a while since someone was dumb enough to land into my den…" Koume was still jut standing there, and the demon sneered. "She's been completely taken in, and the spell is working! How delightful!"

Just then, Toby yelled out.

"Is it a deal, then? We will give you her, and you'll spare Tasha!"

"Ah… that was out bargain, wasn't it? I must say, though…" he said in a deeper tone than before, "it has been quite some time since I last had a soul so… fresh."

Just then, a blue-green tentacle sort of thing poked out of the water wall and shot towards Koume. It just lightly touched her forehead, causing her eyes to shoot open widely a moment before she collapsed. The fiend laughed to himself, but seconds later, he was screaming. Out of the trees, Gojyo's shakujo whizzed out, grazing the long tentacle and causing it to recede. The group quickly emerged, frightening the children even more. They all crowded together on the ground as Hakkai and the gang ran to Koume. Hakkai fell to his knees beside her and lifted her onto his lap. Her skin was pale and cold, and he could not find her pulse. Goku had a hold of his shawl, and he pulled on it, anxiously as Gojyo and Sanzo angrily faced their enemy.

"Koume? God, no… Koume, wake up! Koume!"

"Hakkai… Hakkai, do something!"

"I don't know what TO do! She's not breathing…!" He hugged her close.

"Damn it… What the hell did you DO, you punk!"  
"Ha ha ha… oh, look! More 'guests'!"

Sanzo didn't waste a second in firing off a round.

"You. …Give her back to us." Gojyo blinked.

"Mm? So you know what I am, do you?"

"Yeah. You're a demon that consumes human souls, and I wont tell you twice!" And he loaded another round. There was a moment of silence before Koume suddenly jerked, color returning to her cheeks as she struggled to get air back into her lungs. Hakkai, quite surprised, held her steady and tended to her wounds as she recovered. Within moments, her eyes opened again, finally out of her trance.

"Ah, Koume!"

"Koume's okay!"

"D-dad? …Goku?" Hakkai hugged her again, this time more gently.

"We're here… are you alright?"

"I… I think so." She slowly sat up on her own and looked around. Most everyone seemed happy, though the kids were gathered together looking upset, and Sanzo wasn't looking at her. Still, she threw him a kind smile.

"Genjyo… thank you, for finding me so quickly, darling." Just a little, his guilt lessened, but the growling of the demon started up again, putting them all on edge. Just in case, Koume was given her daggers once more and rose to her feet.

"I have given up my meal… now leave, or I will be forced to eat you all."

"Sounds good to me. We got what we came for."

"We should go, then."

Sanzo and Gojyo turned right around, but Koume could not tear her eyes away from the kids. Some of them were crying. She shook her head and walked towards them.

"! Koume? What…?" Hakkai questioned.

"These kids… they're good and innocent! I can't just leave them here with that… THING!"

"Koume, it's pointless to act like this."

"Why? They have no one else, but us! Why can't we help them?!"

"Because they're dead… Koume."

Sanzo's words cut through her like a knife. None of them had seen the truth, and Koume waited through the silence, waiting for the kids to speak up and say he was wrong… but they didn't.

"Whoa, that's intense…"

"Yeah. I couldn't tell."

"It's this place. They are the souls of children who could not accept their deaths. They were probably wandering spirits until they became trapped in this forest by that demon."

"…Neverland. So that's why. Kids? Toby, Tasha… why didn't you tell me?"

"Furthermore, why did you try to hand her off to that monster?!" Goku yelled.

"We had no choice." Toby replied. "Either we lure her here for the demon, or he would take one of us… Every month one of us is sacrificed to it."

"! That's horrible!"

"Yeah, sure. You're outsiders… what do you know?"

There was silence for a moment before the grumbling water demon made his presence known again. They all looked over at the wall of water as it and the demon began sinking back into the water. "And speaking of my lunch…" it said as it fully submerged. All parties looked at the water. Not a moment later, the tentacle emerged once more and quickly wrapped around Toby. He yelled out or reflex as he was pulled towards the water, but Koume wouldn't have it. She immediately ran to him and grasped onto the tentacle. Both of them were pulled under the water.

"Ah! Koume, no!"

"Eek! She jumped in, too! She's gonna get eaten!" Tasha cried.

"I doubt that, but… she and water don't mix, that's for damn sure!" Sanzo removed his scripture and threw it to Goku before running to the water's edge and jumping in. His actions confused the kids.

"I don't understand." Tasha admitted. Hakkai sighed.

"My Koume… can't swim. She's practically terrified of water."

"!"


	6. Chapter 6

The water was even colder and rougher than Koume had expected… The seemingly colorless tentacle writhing and wriggling, trying to throw her off as if descended deeper than the stream should have been, but despite its efforts, and her fear of the water crushing around her, she refused to let go. She used her claws and slowly but surely managed to pull herself down to where Toby was, also struggling to get free. He had no reason to hold back or hold his breath, which was good, because when Koume's face came into view, his eyes widened and his mouth hung open in surprise. He had to admit he was amazed at how far this one person was going for his sake…

Koume quickly flashed Toby a reassuring smile before unsheathing one of her daggers and thrusting it down into the slick tentacle. Bubbles rose up from beneath them and the tentacle sudden jerked and released the boy. Toby gasped and froze, apparently from shock, but a quick pull on his arm gave him enough encouragement to escape. He blinked at Koume, and she nodded at him and gave him a little push up so he could reach the surface. She watched him quickly swim farther away, but she was having difficulty- on top of that, the tentacle was still thrashing.

Her body was lethargic due to being drained before, but still, she tried to swim upwards and away from the demon's appendage, but her chest was starting to feel painfully tight. She looked up and could just barely manage to see light from the surface… before the tentacle invaded her view and slammed down into her midsection. That one blow was more than enough to knock the remaining air out of her lungs as well as extinguish almost all hopes of making it to solid ground again.

--



Toby could almost sense the danger from below him, but as he was about to look back, another figure appeared from the surface. It wasn't who he had expected… Sanzo's eyes, as he passed Toby, were hard and focused… but there was a sense of warning in those eyes as well. He knew that Koume had grown attached to the kids, even though she knew what they were, and it stung them both- Sanzo and Toby. That look was definitely a warning…. 'Don't make her cry.' After all, Sanzo loved Koume very much, and he would hate to see her sad face… if she found out she couldn't save them.

It wasn't subtle, but Toby knew all too well what would end up happening. There was no way these strange people would be able to set them free from their fate, and he continued to think about it even after he broke the surface of the water. The other kids were waiting by the bank, the fear suddenly gone from their eyes as they called his name and reached out to help him. Hakkai was there, too, and even though they had tried to hurt his only family, he still held out a hand to him. Once Toby was out of the river, Hakkai noticed that the boy wasn't even shivering, despite how cold he knew it would be. That had to mean that Sanzo was right… and there was nothing he could do. Meanwhile, Gojyo and Goku were watching the water, still, waiting for the other two to make it up as well. Goku almost seemed anxious.

"Where are they? They're taking too long!"

"Don't have a cardiac, monkey… I'm sure they're fine."

A burst of bubbles breached the surface first, causing Gojyo to wonder, but it wasn't long after that Sanzo made it back up, clutching a gasping Koume tightly in one arm. He struggled only slightly with the weight of their drenched clothing, but managed to make it to the edge without too much grief. Once there, Koume all but clawed at the grass, eager to be back on solid ground with no more risk of 

drowning. Like a kitten, she couldn't stand being drenched, nor could she move so easily in it. The group helped to pull them ashore and Koume could begin to relax, as she lay closely against Sanzo, nestled safely in his arms, but still panting. Hakkai quickly tended to them, but was thankful that they had received no injuries, and their other companions congratulated them, but one person was, surprisingly, not pleased.

"B-baka!" Toby shouted, rising to his feet, still heavily drenched.

"Mm…?" Koume looked his way calmly.

"You're…. you're such a stupid girl! What the hell were you trying to do?"

"Uh… she was helping? A thank you would be nice ya little brat." Gojyo scoffed.

"I wont thank her! What she did was just plain stupid! Jumping in there when she couldn't swim just to save someone who was already dead?!" Koume remained silent.

"You already knew that, and yet you…."

Despite his angry words, tears were forming at the corners of his eyes. The more he tried to berate her, the more his anger turned to guilt, and his voice cracked. Those tears of his… they cascaded down his cheeks like endless rivers of sorrow and hopelessness. It was a difficult sight to behold, and he was still so young, so hard to reach. But, Koume smiled, regardless.

"Yeah… Toby, you're right. I guess it was stupid… but you'll be surprised what one does… for her children."



At those words, Toby gasped, and the tears only came down harder. Some of the other children behind him were crying, too, but not out of sorrow any longer. It was a wonderful thing, Hakkai knew, to be able to bring a smile to someone's face- especially a child, no matter what problems there were yet to face. Speaking of which…

Just as things had started to calm down, the water started to gurgle again and the wall of water rose with those red eyes glaring down at them.

"Fools… ingrates! How dare you come into my forest and think you can get away with this! I swear I'll kill you all!" None in the ikkou were frightened, though. They were done with dealing with him, and were no longer interested in talking. Shakily, Koume rose to her feet and once again put herself between the demon and the children, and this time, she wasn't alone. With five people now in his way, the demon had to know what was coming.

"I'm tired of this game. You've pushed too many of our buttons to be let off the hook."

"What?!"

"We've been here far too long already, and I'm starving! Just be thankful I don't like eating sea-trash like you!"

"H-hey!"

"The sun will set soon, and with you distracting us, we may not make it to the next town… And I wanted to sleep in a warm bed…"

"W-wait! Don't think you can talk to me like tha-"



A bullet zipped right through the wall of water, forcing out a loud shriek and causing the water wall to fall. It was then that the group and the children were able to get a look at the demon they all were supposed to fear- for the first…and last time. He was slightly taller than a normal person, skin the color of merky water with several tentacles sprouted from his back. He was a gross looking demon for sure… but once they were faced with him, he wasn't all that scary at all. Sanzo's bullet had managed to graze the beast's shoulder, which he was trying desperately to apply pressure to.

"Y-you're not normal…"

"Ah for once, it's not an assassin from the West!" Gojyo grinned.

"I can't believe we actually found one who doesn't know us!" Hakkai just smiled.

"What a loser!" And Goku laughed his head off.

"I don't care if he knows us or not, he wont get the chance to live and find out."

"Ha… ha ha ha… fools…! Do you really think that you can mock me so lightly and even kill me? You're out of your minds! I'm not so easy to kill…! For all you know, I could be immortal!"

"Not likely." He gasped, seeing Koume point at him. "Look there. Your shoulder, your tentacle, too… See that red liquid? That's called blood. And as the saying goes…"

"If it bleeds, we can kill it." Gojyo finished.

The demon didn't even get the chance to respond before Goku was in his face, nyoibo drawn. The task was simple… Goku knocked away the tentacles and Hakkai helped to immobilize them. Before the demon could retaliate, Gojyo had his chains wrapped all around him. He was terrified now… shaking and pleading to be let go, but Sanzo was not the in nature of sparing those who got in his way. He 

stepped up so that he was face-to-face with the demon, and Koume stepped to his side. Raising his gun, Sanzo glared, and Koume set her hand over his. Together, they would finish it.

"We are…" Koume started softly, golden red eyes sparkling in the fading light. "…The Sanzo party."

And with one shot, it was over… years of pain and suffering and loss… all over. The scared children watched in amazement as the demon disintegrated right in front of them, and an amazing weight was lifted. They didn't have to worry about being consumed or wandering in emptiness… But…

"Woo-hoo! Am I glad that THAT'S over!" Goku cheered.

"No kidding! It was so lame…! But hey, no harm done! We got Koume back safe and sound!"

Their excitement was amusing, and Koume smiled at them, at Hakkai, at Sanzo lovingly… but the look on Sanzo's face was troubling. She wanted to ask him about it, hold his hand and beg him to open up if she had to, but before she got the chance, the most surprising thing happened. Thunder cracked from up above them, for seemingly no reason, and before they knew it, a bolt of lightning hit a tree close by, instantly setting fire to the surrounding area. The fire spread so quickly, it was unnatural and obviously startling. The group huddled close to avoid the quickly-spreading flames, covering their mouths.

"This can't be good at all! How'd it spread this quickly?!"

"Well, that demon said this forest was his domain… maybe he wanted to take it with him!"



"Shoot! And we don't even know how to get out of this place!"

"We do!"

All eyes moved behind them to the children. Even though there was fire all around them, none of them had any fear remaining in them.

"You know the way out…?"

"We do! To repay you… we'll show you the way!"

Everyone was growing tired and the smoke made their heads fuzzy, but they knew the children were good, so they allowed them to lead them out. The path was rough and they had to stop several times to avoid a falling tree or to find a new route through the growing fire, but soon, an exit could be seen through a small gap between the thick foliage. The group inwardly sighed and ran as fast as their feet could carry them, even passing the small children, and when they were out in the open, they all heaved. The smoke was starting to leave their pressured lungs, giving them a feeling of safety and relief that they hadn't felt in a while.

"Phew! What a ride…!" Goku heaved, hands on his knees.

"No seconds for me, thanks…" Gojyo added, fixing his hair which happened to get frayed at the ends.

"We almost didn't make it out… We were almost goners there! Thank yo--" Koume lifted her head to thank the children, but they hadn't followed them. Instead of coming out into the open, they chose to remain standing just inside of the forest where the fires still raged on. Their heads were down, and something sharp jabbed slightly into Koume's heart.



"Kids…? Hey…"

"Sorry, but…" Toby lifted his head, smiling only slightly. "We're staying here."

"! What?"

"We're already dead… so even if we leave the forest, we're only gonna go to one place. It's best to just fade away with these trees."

"No!"

Koume tried to run back towards them, but she was immediately halted as Hakkai dashed towards her, slinging an arm around her waist and pinning one arm. Still, she tried to reach them, extending her free hand out to them.

"Sorry…" Toby whispered. Koume struggled, thrashed, yelled out, but why wouldn't anyone do anything? She begged them to help the kids, but what could they do, really? Goku stayed off to the side with his head down, knowing all too well this feeling of helplessness and loss. Gojyo tried not to make eye contact with anyone, Hakkai kept his hold firm and solid, and Sanzo…he didn't move. He was staring out at the kids as they slowly started to fade away with the burning forest.

"Really…" Toby started again, "we did start to think of you as our mother! It was…really cool…!"

"Toby, please… don't do this!"

"I didn't think we could be saved, but we were… you saved us! Thank you!"

"Please!! We can find a better way!" But Toby shook his head.

"This is okay with us… We get to move on happily now…" And as he spoke, he and the other kids faded into nothing, with smiles on their faces. Even after they were gone and the forest had more or less smoldered into little bits of wood and rock, Koume could not tear her eyes away from the spot where the kids had once 

stood. She was shaking, crying, reaching out to nothing… and she might have stayed like that longer, had Sanzo not stepped into her line of sight. His sudden appearance made her jump, but his soft expression was calming, and Hakkai was free to let her go. Koume just stood there, staring into Sanzo's eyes for the longest time, until the tears returned and she fell to her knees, crying.

"Koume…" Gojyo and Goku both called softly before Hakkai's hand fell on her shoulder.

"Koume… maybe I was wrong, before. I think you would make a wonder mother… you did for them!" At this, Koume sobbed, hanging her head.

"No… you were right before… I am a horrible mother…" She almost choked on her tears. "Because I couldn't bear… to let them go…!" None of them could stand the pain in her voice, and Sanzo was on his knees in an instant to pull her to him. Each one of them had known the pain of loss and helplessness, and now Koume did, too.


End file.
